On Tuesday I noticed that your little left eye was suddenly all red, swollen and watery. I must say, I got quite a fright. This was the first sign, at 5 months, of anything "wrong" with my perfect little angel and I didn't like it! I don't know how I'm going to cope with high temperatures, blocked noses, coughs and colds as this was merely a little bit of a red eye. Oh how us mothers worry!
I scrutinized this red eye - could it be a blocked duct, is Lily allergic to the changing seasons, is it Pink Eye? It looks like it is clearing today but I must admit to constantly watching it. I don't like it when my baby isn't 100% well and happy. I wish I could take it away. I would happily walk around with red swollen eyes in place of my daughter having them.
I suppose I have to be grateful that my first doctor's visit is only for red eyes and nothing more sinister. So off we go this morning to get Lily back to 100% happy and healthy!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Bad Mommy
It has taken me 5 months, but I've finally realised that Lily cannot go for longer than 2.5 hours of "awake time". She is such a happy little baby during her first 2 hours of so-called "awake time", but then things start to unravel we have a mini meltdown!
Take today - happily out and about shopping with my sister (Aunty Lou) and Lily this afternoon. Lily was loving facing the outside world in her Baby Bjorn, kicking, talking and giggling, but mom forgot to think about the time and the fact that Lily had gone way over her blissful 2 hours of awake time. Right in the middle of a very busy Woolworths queue, my daughter decided to let the world know that she was fighting the overwhelming power of sleep! Sleep is the enemy and must be fought. I was getting a few inquisitive looks and stares so eventually rushed Aunty Lou to the car with Lily while I waited to pay for our groceries. I was very tempted to leave the groceries and eat nothing for dinner tonight just to get out of the situation!
The same thing then happened this evening again (you would think I'd learned my lesson earlier) as I tried to push her to stay awake until bath time. Loving her bath and happily playing with her floating green turtle, when out of nowhere, a scream erupted like someone was really hurting her! I've never whipped her out of the bath so quickly. We had to take a few moments to calm the mini meltdown so we could finally get dressed, fed and put into bed.
Lily, Mom has now learned her lesson and will be clock watching a little more closely from now on! She's sorry it took her so long to figure out! Yet another learning curve in the land of parenthood.
Take today - happily out and about shopping with my sister (Aunty Lou) and Lily this afternoon. Lily was loving facing the outside world in her Baby Bjorn, kicking, talking and giggling, but mom forgot to think about the time and the fact that Lily had gone way over her blissful 2 hours of awake time. Right in the middle of a very busy Woolworths queue, my daughter decided to let the world know that she was fighting the overwhelming power of sleep! Sleep is the enemy and must be fought. I was getting a few inquisitive looks and stares so eventually rushed Aunty Lou to the car with Lily while I waited to pay for our groceries. I was very tempted to leave the groceries and eat nothing for dinner tonight just to get out of the situation!
The same thing then happened this evening again (you would think I'd learned my lesson earlier) as I tried to push her to stay awake until bath time. Loving her bath and happily playing with her floating green turtle, when out of nowhere, a scream erupted like someone was really hurting her! I've never whipped her out of the bath so quickly. We had to take a few moments to calm the mini meltdown so we could finally get dressed, fed and put into bed.
Lily, Mom has now learned her lesson and will be clock watching a little more closely from now on! She's sorry it took her so long to figure out! Yet another learning curve in the land of parenthood.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Milestones
Time is literally flying! I was reminiscing through my photo album of Lily, the one I've created right from the day I got my positive pregnancy test result, and I cannot believe how things have changed! From my growing belly, booking into hospital, seeing Lily for the first time to today - the precious almost-5-month-old who continues to amaze me! She is changing on a daily basis and although it's amazing, it's also making me scared. I want time to stand still for a while. I can't remember how tiny she was, how much she slept, how much she cried... Those early memories are becoming a blur. That's why I'm grateful for this blog - a go-to reminder of all the little milestones and our overall journey together.
Some milestones to remember at 5 months (well, 4 days before Lily's 5 month birthday):
Some milestones to remember at 5 months (well, 4 days before Lily's 5 month birthday):
- You've finally outgrown your #2 size nappies - hello #3's!
- I've packed away your size 0-3 vests even though size 3-6 months is still a little too big.
- You giggle at least a few times a day now and it makes mom's heart melt.
- You have rolled over from your tummy to your back a few times - we now await the rolling over from back to tummy.
- You're still sleeping well with one night feed which I'm truly grateful for!
- You're a drooling machine so mommy's constantly looking for signs of your first toofie - nothing yet.
- You're noticing the dogs and finding them very interesting!
- You've learned how to get angry! You arch your back, your face goes bright red and you make a noise similar to the sound of someone who's constipated and desperately pushing! I can't help but laugh.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Realisations
Becoming a mother has made for some truly amazing realisations:
Firstly, my love and admiration for my own mom has grown even more than I thought possible. I've always known how much she loves my sister and I, but only now do I fully comprehend how deep that love is. It's an unconditional love, a love that will always be there - forever - no matter what the future holds. Its unlike the love I have for my husband. That love is conditional. There are certain conditions on which our relationship is built. No, a love for a child is something extraordinary and you'll only understand that once you've had a child of your own (just what my mom used to tell me when I was growing up! Thanks mom, I now understand!).
Another realisation is how my life is now forever changed. I will always worry and be concerned for the safety, health and happiness of Lily. I will never be fully carefree again, with only "me" to think about. I am now responsible for a whole new life! The human being that my daughter ultimately becomes is as a result of my and my husband's parenting. That is quite a responsibility to have and I hope that I do the best job possible - I will definitely strive to do so.
And finally, I never realised how much I would absolutely love a tiny little person only hours after meeting them. The love I already had for her knew no limits and it only gets stronger every day. Sometimes I get all teary just staring at our little creation and my heart just wants to burst.
I am truly blessed.
Firstly, my love and admiration for my own mom has grown even more than I thought possible. I've always known how much she loves my sister and I, but only now do I fully comprehend how deep that love is. It's an unconditional love, a love that will always be there - forever - no matter what the future holds. Its unlike the love I have for my husband. That love is conditional. There are certain conditions on which our relationship is built. No, a love for a child is something extraordinary and you'll only understand that once you've had a child of your own (just what my mom used to tell me when I was growing up! Thanks mom, I now understand!).
Another realisation is how my life is now forever changed. I will always worry and be concerned for the safety, health and happiness of Lily. I will never be fully carefree again, with only "me" to think about. I am now responsible for a whole new life! The human being that my daughter ultimately becomes is as a result of my and my husband's parenting. That is quite a responsibility to have and I hope that I do the best job possible - I will definitely strive to do so.
And finally, I never realised how much I would absolutely love a tiny little person only hours after meeting them. The love I already had for her knew no limits and it only gets stronger every day. Sometimes I get all teary just staring at our little creation and my heart just wants to burst.
I am truly blessed.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Today's thoughts
Today I have 3 things on my mind…
Thought #1: My ailing mind.
Thought #1: My ailing mind.
I have to admit that I’m growing more and more concerned about my mental health. They say you get “porridge brain” during pregnancy, but I have to say, even though I did say and do the odd occasional ditsy thing, I wasn’t affected too badly (although I’m sure my husband would disagree!). The problem I believe, is actually POST pregnancy. I am convinced that I delivered my common sense and short-term memory when I delivered Lily! It is rather worrying as I don’t seem to retain much upstairs and seem to be living up to the colour of my hair! I’m praying that my once intelligent mind returns and soon!
Thought #2: My child’s bowel movements.
Who would have thought that bowel movements would consume your thoughts every 3-4 hours? Well, that’s what’s been on my mind today and I’m sure 99% of new mommies have experienced this too. Lily is breastfed and therefore shouldn’t have any problems in the “bowel moving” department. They say a breastfed baby can go 8 times in 1 day or go once in 8 days… Having said that, she’s pretty regular so this new mommy needn’t worry, until today when I suddenly realized that my daughter hadn’t had a poo nappy in over 3 days (today being day #4)! So with every nappy change I was secretly praying that I would open up a nice, full brown nappy!
As luck would have it, I didn’t have to worry for too much longer as a nice big parcel was waiting for me just before bath time – I could have thrown a party I was so relieved! Had anyone told me about this a year ago, I would never have believed that my days would be spent worrying about bowel movements!
Thought #3: When to start baby on solids and how to feed baby solids.
Another thing I would never have thought possible is how very confusing feeding a baby is! One person tells you to start baby on solids at 4 months and another says wait until 6 months. One person says start them off on rice cereal and others say veggies. As per usual with anything baby related, there are numerous differing opinions! So I’ve decided to do what I feel I need to do with MY baby and ignore all the other opinions out there. I have to do this for my own sanity!
And then another thing – what to feed your baby in when the inevitable first few spoonfuls are spat out! Do you buy a highchair or a bumbo seat? If you buy a highchair, what type of highchair do you buy? There are just so many options out there that yet again, things just get far too confusing. Although I’m grateful for the modern advances there are today, I sometimes wish it was as simple as it was for our parents when we were babies (except for the lack of car seats back in the day!). So now I need to do my research and find a suitable abode for my little Lily to merrily eat her solids when that big day comes! I must say, I’m really excited!
Monday, September 13, 2010
The Mullet
Wikipedia describes the Mullet as the following:
"The mullet is a hairstyle that is shorter at the front and sides, and long in the back. Often ridiculed as a lowbrow and unappealing hairstyle, the mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s."
As you can see from the description above, the Mullet thankfully died a well-deserved death 30 years ago and hopefully it won't be returning any time soon. Due to the fact that it is without doubt, one of the least appealing hairstyles around, I was starting to grow concerned when I noticed that my precious daughter's hair was starting to take on Mullet-like proportions! I spoke to hubby and his reaction was "no, you can't cut her hair, she's too small" so I left it for a while longer, trying to brush the lengthy back pieces straight down into the nape of her neck so it would be hidden by her shirt or baby grow!
After chatting about my concern with some other baby mommies, they all agreed that cute little Lily couldn't possibly continue to go out in public with her Mullet and that it had to go! So this morning I'm happy to say that I took the plunge and snipped it away. I know Lily will thank me in years to come!
"The mullet is a hairstyle that is shorter at the front and sides, and long in the back. Often ridiculed as a lowbrow and unappealing hairstyle, the mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s."
As you can see from the description above, the Mullet thankfully died a well-deserved death 30 years ago and hopefully it won't be returning any time soon. Due to the fact that it is without doubt, one of the least appealing hairstyles around, I was starting to grow concerned when I noticed that my precious daughter's hair was starting to take on Mullet-like proportions! I spoke to hubby and his reaction was "no, you can't cut her hair, she's too small" so I left it for a while longer, trying to brush the lengthy back pieces straight down into the nape of her neck so it would be hidden by her shirt or baby grow!
After chatting about my concern with some other baby mommies, they all agreed that cute little Lily couldn't possibly continue to go out in public with her Mullet and that it had to go! So this morning I'm happy to say that I took the plunge and snipped it away. I know Lily will thank me in years to come!
 |
The Mullet prior to the snip! After the snip! |
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Mommy Body
Getting a belly or losing my figure were the least of my concerns when I got the 2 lines on the pregnancy test last year. I so wanted to fall pregnant and start a family that if my body were to change, so be it. Having said that, I am in absolute awe of what this body is capable of - of growing a perfect little human being and protecting her until she was ready to enter this world.
So now that Lily is here and 4 months have past, I'm now more critical of my post-pregnancy body. I was never a 6 pack type of girl, but I was quite proud of my flat, relatively toned abs. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones whose stomach went flat almost immediately after giving birth, however, I am definitely more "jiggly"(the most suitable word I can think of) in the abdominal and "muffin top" area! The most apt way of describing it is like there is air underneath the skin - when sitting, rolls are now appearing where I never had them before! This body has certainly taken on a life of its own! I am now left pondering when (or even if) my body will go back to its former glory?
During pregnancy your hair and nails grow beautifully and probably attribute to the "glow" many pregnant women exhibit, however, no-one seems to mention the after birth hair loss! I'm almost certain that at this rate my hairline is going to resemble my husband's very soon (who is almost completely bald)! Surely there's a limit to how many hairs one can lose in a day? I'm starting to worry...
And the final, most devastating thing is... my boobs! I've always been well endowed in this area, but luckily pretty perky too, but today I did the "pencil test". For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a way to test "droopage" by putting a pencil underneath your boobs and to pass this test, the pencil should fall out from underneath. Unfortunately I failed dismally! That pencil was going nowhere!
So my body has changed... But then again, I have changed. There are more important things in my life now than my body and how it looks. My husband still finds me attractive (thank goodness) and I have a beautiful baby girl to show for it which to me, is all that counts at the end of the day!
So now that Lily is here and 4 months have past, I'm now more critical of my post-pregnancy body. I was never a 6 pack type of girl, but I was quite proud of my flat, relatively toned abs. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones whose stomach went flat almost immediately after giving birth, however, I am definitely more "jiggly"(the most suitable word I can think of) in the abdominal and "muffin top" area! The most apt way of describing it is like there is air underneath the skin - when sitting, rolls are now appearing where I never had them before! This body has certainly taken on a life of its own! I am now left pondering when (or even if) my body will go back to its former glory?
During pregnancy your hair and nails grow beautifully and probably attribute to the "glow" many pregnant women exhibit, however, no-one seems to mention the after birth hair loss! I'm almost certain that at this rate my hairline is going to resemble my husband's very soon (who is almost completely bald)! Surely there's a limit to how many hairs one can lose in a day? I'm starting to worry...
And the final, most devastating thing is... my boobs! I've always been well endowed in this area, but luckily pretty perky too, but today I did the "pencil test". For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a way to test "droopage" by putting a pencil underneath your boobs and to pass this test, the pencil should fall out from underneath. Unfortunately I failed dismally! That pencil was going nowhere!
So my body has changed... But then again, I have changed. There are more important things in my life now than my body and how it looks. My husband still finds me attractive (thank goodness) and I have a beautiful baby girl to show for it which to me, is all that counts at the end of the day!
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